Hello Culminator
I have also enjoyed reading your post.
With regard to removal of the wheels & jacking the car I felt similarly when I first had to tackle the job. However, with a bit of metal work and some wood I came up with a satisfactory solution.
I bought some 50x50mm angle iron 4mm thick and cut two pieces to the length of the jacking plate at the front of the car. I bolted the two pieces together and then in the middle attached a block of hard wood (with a slot to take the vertical of the two thicknesses of angle iron). I then used this spreading plate with my jack to lift the car at the front. For the rear i just use the diff case with some wood under it.
And to remove the wheels, providing they have been properly fitted with some copper grease smeared on the mounting faces it's a case of having a decent torque wrench that can be used with the socket in the boot. I was able to find a secondhand item for about £100.
I agree that the costs of parts can be high and the car does seem to need more than a well loved older +8 (mine was a 1978). I guess it's the price one has to pay for more modern creature comforts and lower emissions!
Cheers
